Lisa Campbell Salazar

While youth are often portrayed in the media as apathetic and disengaged, the reality is that youth across Canada are taking action in their communities to make positive change.  As you can see from our profiles on Get Involved, young people like Quinn Runkle, Amanda Belzowski, Bilaal Rajan and Ryan Hreljac are proving that Apathy is Boring and that youth do have the power to make change. They are not alone in their quest!  There are hundreds of student activists sprouting up across the country.  Youth activism ranges from grassroots collectives, to school clubs, to actual registered non-profit organizations like Schools Without Borders.

As youth are jumping to action, society at large is jumping for new language to label this new generation.  Popular terms have popped up across the map; the Net Generation, Millennials, Generation Y… the list goes on! With labels come stereotypes of course.  While popular stereotypes of youth as apathetic and lazy still prevail in the mainstream media, new headlines are breaking as this generation of youth that give us hope.  According to recent articles youth have the highest volunteering rates of all demographics.  There are many reasons for youth to volunteer, but when we asked our volunteers their main motivation is to create social change.  Whether it’s raising money for schools in Africa, or lobbying municipal government, youth are working hard to be the change and transform their communities. According to Gen-We.com;

“Born between 1978 and 2000, they are 95 million strong, compared to 78 million Baby Boomers. They are independent—politically, socially, and philosophically—and they are spearheading a period of sweeping change in America and around the world.”

Generation We has taken off as a movement in Canada with Free the Children leading the pack. Free the Children works to create change in six difference countries raising money, building schools, and creating sustainable development to combat poverty.  Founder Craig Kielburger was 12 years old when he started the organization, and currently 63% of  donations come from children, teens and university students raising money. Their biggest event WeDay happens across Canada and features prominent activists, celebrities, politicians, and other important figures.  Thousands of youth flock from across the country to attend and thousands more tune in online through CTV. Through organizations like Free the Children youth are creating change one village at a time.  If you are interested in getting involved and don’t know where to start try finding a chapter at your local school or start your own!  Free the Children also provides youth with a chance to volunteer abroad through Me to We with trips to places like India, Ecuador, China, Kenya and the Arizona-Mexico border.  Get Involved today!

Related posts:

1. LetsStopAIDS Volunteer Yvonne
2. Youth Supporting Youth
3. Teens Becoming the Generation of Social Change

Lisa Campbell Salazar

At the 2009 aids2031 Young Leaders Summit in Oslo, Norway, Hopes Voice International filmed a short video in partnership with the Royal Palace Norway and aids2031 on why enabling young leadership is crucial for the current and future AIDS response. TakingITGlobal Executive Director Jennifer Corriero joined youth leaders from around the world shared inspiring messages of hope and determination letting the world know what motivates them to get involved.

Interested in learning more about HIV/AIDS and want to take action?  A great place to start is the TIG Xpress HIV/AIDS portal where you can download the Guide to Action, browse photos, and connect with other youth around the world with similar interests. According to TakingITGlobal’s Global Issues HIV/AIDS portal, “Youth are particularly at risk as young people between the ages of 15 to 24 account for more than 40% of new HIV infections. Young women are also more at risk for contracting HIV; three times more likely than males in Sub-Saharan Africa and almost two times more likely in the Caribbean.”  It is vital that youth across the world stand strong together to combat the spread of HIV in communities everywhere.

Looking to join a youth-led organization?  There are a number of groups dedicated to HIV/AIDS that are led by and for youth.  LetsStopAIDS was founded in 2004 by Shamin Mohamed Jr and a small group of high school students looking to take action. LetsStopAIDS now organizes The 24 Hour Wake in an effort to raise awareness in communities across Canada. Also, if you are looking to take action globally check out the Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS for events, resources, e-courses and small grants!

Related posts:

1. Generation We
2. LetsStopAIDS Volunteer Yvonne
3. Youth Supporting Youth

Sedina Fiati volunteers with the Beautiful City Alliance, a collective of over 29 community organizations from across the Greater Toronto Area which are lobbying to create a billboard fee which will go towards supporting youth arts initiatives. Originally known as the Beautiful City Billboard Fee (BCBF), the collective of organizations that have come together of the years are as diverse as its mandate, encompassing a wide variety of voices, from the Art Gallery of Ontario to the Grassroots Youth Collaborative.  According to a recently conducted Pollara poll 66% of Torontonians support the idea of charging a fee to billboard advertisers to fund more public art. Together the alliance aims to raise over 6 million dollars annually in order to support public art. Sedina fits into the collective naturally, with a background in youth engagement and theatre.  Sedina works professionally as the outreach coordinator / rAiz’n developer for b current.

1.) Why did you decide to Get Involved?

I have volunteered for most of life starting with Girl Guides when I was younger and continuing until now with my involvement with various arts and youth organizations. As human beings, I believe we are here to serve each other and volunteerism is one of the many ways that we create a better world.

2.) How many hours do you devote to your cause a week?

2 – 3 hours

3.) Pick one word or a sentence that describes what volunteering means to you.

It’s a gift to be able to help.

4.) Why is your cause so important to you?

Support of art and youth is a major part of the work I do. As a local independent artist, we need support to continue to our work which sometimes goes unnoticed by the general public. If we can bring attention to our art and continue to push that corporations who use art as a medium to sell products, give back and allow art for arts sake, we can continue to create art that the public sees and connects to.

Related posts:

1. Generation We
2. Kiwanis Club of North York Volunteer Peter
3. LetsStopAIDS Volunteer Yvonne

Lisa Campbell Salazar

University of Guelph student Yvonne Su volunteers with LetsStopAIDS, a national youth-driven organization that works to share information, inspire action and create projects surrounding the issue of HIV/AIDS. Yvonne  concern for both the environment with the fight against the spread of HIV brought her all the way to South Africa.  “Our program was called Spread Trees, Not AIDS, and we did workshops about both HIV prevention and environmental health. The young people who participated were very receptive. They don’t have the resources we have for sexual health education, so they were never formally educated about these issues.” Not only did Yvonne spent her time doing workshops with South African youth, but also volunteered planting trees in the schoolyard nearby to provide both fruit and shade for the community.  This December Yvonne will be traveling all the way to the UN Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen to be a climate change delegate. Be sure to catch her writing in the May 2008 issue of Youth Action Forum Magazine!

1.) Why did you decide to Get Involved?

I got involved because it felt natural to lend a hand to those in need- holding a door, joining in on school yard clean ups, donating to those down on their luck- they were all simple tasks that didn’t warrant a request. When I realized the magnitude of the global HIV and AIDS pandemic 4 years ago I knew I needed to do what I could to help so I volunteered with LetsStopAIDS… Working with LetsStopAIDS, I was empowered to help those in need by volunteering my time and energy. I became an HIV and AIDS peer educator and spent my time educating others so they could become peer educators as well. Together, we hope to equip youth with the knowledge and resources to live a safe and healthy life.

2.) How many hours do you devote to your cause a week?

10 hours a week

3.) Pick one word or a sentence that describes what volunteering means to you.

Volunteering is the foundation of community.

4.) Why is your cause so important to you?

Educating young people about HIV and AIDS is important to me because I believe every child has a right to a comprehensive sexual education. Youth need to be equipped with the knowledge and resources that can allow them to make safe sexual choices. In Canada we are lucky to have every possible resource available to learn about our sexual health. People in other countries are not as fortunate.

In Mtubatuba, South Africa, the township I spent my summer volunteering in, youth have limited to no access to information about sexual health and HIV. There is no internet, let alone computers or electricity. There is no library with books to borrow about the topic, little is said at school and young people are not allowed to date until they are 21 years old. In a place with such limited information and resources, misinformation and myths arise which gives way to the creation of stigma against people living with HIV.

Our time in Mtubatuba, gave us the opportunity to educate about sexual health and HIV and AIDS in a comprehensive and unconventional matter. It also allowed us to act as a resource for these youth by answering their many questions about sex and HIV.  A women once told me, “No one told me about HIV and AIDS. No one told me what a condom was or how to use it. If only someone told me.” With LetsStopAIDS, I want to create a network of peer educators so they can be that someone for somebody and prevent the spread of HIV.

Related posts:

1. Beautifulcity.ca Volunteer Sedina
2. Kiwanis Club of North York Volunteer Peter
3. Be a Global Youth Leader Today

By HANK DANISZEWSKI

For London’s growing army of unemployed, volunteering could be a useful bridge back to a job.

With unemployment soaring across the continent, reports from the United States show a surge in the volunteer sector, especially among young graduates.

Michelle Baldwin, executive director of the Pillar Nonprofit Network in London, said there’s no sign of a similar pattern in this area yet, but she expects interest in volunteer opportunities will grow as the job situation deteriorates.

“Employment agencies are definitely recommending individuals volunteer as a way to build up their resume and their network,” she said.

The Pillar Nonprofit Network encourages volunteerism and maintains a database of volunteer opportunities at non-profit agencies.

Baldwin said volunteering is valued by employers and allows job seekers to build contacts.

“Employers are looking at volunteer experience on resumes. It may not equal job experience, but it is taken into consideration,” she said.

She said recent immigrants find volunteering a good way to build experience in the community.

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1. Volunteer Postings from Across Canada
2. Business gives back
3. LetsStopAIDS Volunteer Yvonne

Some amazing initiatives have emerged out of these new funding structures which have led to new models of youth leadership and involvement.  Young Diplomats were one of the original recipients of the Youth Challenge Fund and are a stunning example of the power of youth to make change and support each other. Young Diplomats emerged from a community-based research study done by the UN University for Peace in March 2006 which identified the emotional, cultural and identity issues faced by Ethiopian youth in the Greater Toronto Area.

Before Young Diplomats there were no community groups running Ethiopian-specific youth programs and as such the group has become a central hub for the community.  Young Diplomats provides Ethiopian youth the opportunity to access inspiring community mentors, create youth-positive spaces and mobilize around important issues.  Combining social, academic and career mentorship with fun opportunities like the annual YD Summer Leadership Camp, Young Diplomats reaches out to a variety of Ethiopian youth at different life stages to create a web of community support. To find out more about Young Diplomats check out their website and Facebook Group to see their latest projects and get inspired!

Related posts:

1. Generation We
2. Beautifulcity.ca Volunteer Sedina
3. LetsStopAIDS Volunteer Yvonne